


Knowing You as I Do

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barson Secret Santa Exchange 2020, Case Fic, F/M, canon-typical discussions of assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28184880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: Olivia watches Rafael in court, and she knows everything he's feeling.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35
Collections: Barson Secret Santa 2020





	Knowing You as I Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KLK1618](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KLK1618/gifts).



Liv sits at the back of the courtroom because it's where Lacey asked her to sit. Lacey's their survivor, five feet nine and muscular and absolutely livid at the people who told her--when she told them directly after coming back from that party--that she couldn't possibly have been overpowered and raped because she's a shot put champion on track to qualify for the Olympics. 

Lacey is currently on the stand and preparing for Rafael to start his direct. She's wearing a suit and tie and dangling silver earrings. Liv's already eyeballed the jurors who are making assumptions and know Rafael has a well, even if she hasn't seen him glance their way. 

"Mr. Barba, your witness," the judge says. 

Liv understands why Lacey wants her at the back of the room. Lacey can't see her clearly through all the other people in the gallery. Lacey can't make eye contact and perhaps realize that Liv watches the way Rafael stands slowly and sees in his small pause before he says anything that he's really fucking nervous. 

"Ms. Stonecipher, did you know the defendant before you talked at the party?"

Lacey says yes, and Rafael asks his next question ("Where did you meet?"), and then the follow-up to that ("What was your relationship?"). Liv cuts her attention between Rafael and the jury, The jury chuckles when Lacey answers both questions with basically the same answer. ("We met in a history course."/"We took a history course together.")

Rafael's movements sharpen when the jury chuckles, and Liv allows herself a tiny smile. Rafael's gotten feedback from the jury that say they're open to liking Lacey, open to listening to her, and he's ready to give them that chance. 

"Ms. Stonecipher," Rafael says, continuing to use the honorific--Liv knows--so that the jury thinks of her as someone deserving respect even if she doesn't _seem_ like the _the perfect victim_. "Why did you attend the party?"

"I went with friends to act as the bitch," Lacey says. Rafael hadn't been sure of that description when they'd prepped Lacey for her testimony, but she'd insisted on it. It's what she and her friends always called it. It was honest. 

Liv watches the jury. It's split with five women and seven men. All the women smile. They've all known a Lacey, Liv knows from their reactions. She catches Rafael giving the jury a quick side glance and realizing it, too. 

"What does that mean?" Rafael asks--a question he didn't prep Lacey for, but one that Liv knows will be easy for Lacey to answer, "To be the bitch?"

Lacey waves a hand at herself. "Nothing about me is subtle. If someone comes to me and says some guy is pressuring them, I go over and scare the guy away."

"Do those guys stay away?"

"Yes."

A couple of the men on the jury are grinning now as well, won over by Lacey's casual explanation. Liv can't help but cross her fingers and hope they'll be as supportive as they get to the harder part of the story. 

"And you've done this more than once?" Rafael asks. "Playing the part of the bitch?"

"Yeah. Since freshman year," Lacey asks. "Well, since high school, really."

"And have any of the men you've approached ever threatened you before?"

"Objection," the defense attorney says.

"Your honor, I'm laying out a pattern of behavior," Rafael says.

The judge thinks for a moment. "Overruled," he says. 

"Thank you, your honor," Rafael says, and Liv wants to roll her eyes at the way he dips forward like he's trying not to bow but can't help it. It's not fair that he can be cute this way. 

"Ms. Stonecipher," Rafael says, "Have any of the men you've approached on behalf of your friends ever threatened you before?"

"Yes."

"Is it a common occurrence?"

Lacey thinks for a moment. "I don't know what would be considered a common occurrence."

Liv watches Rafael's shoulders straighten that much more. She knows he's fighting the urge to smile. This is an unplanned answer, but it's the type that always helps the case. A survivor wanting to be certain is something a jury always appreciates.

"On a scale of one to ten, a five would be common," Rafael says. "On a scale of one to ten, how often would you say the men you've approached have threatened you?"

Lacey thinks for a moment. Liv watches her face, transfixed by the way it's so clear Lacey is determining a fair number. 

"Six," Lacey says. "It's a six."

Rafael nods sharply and picks up from there, having Lacey detail previous threats against her, how often they've been sexual in nature, and how they have never, ever led to anyone trying to harm her. 

"So, you felt safe to stay at the party even after these threats because you've spent years being threatened and not coming to harm?" Rafael asks. 

"Correct," Lacey says.

The jury is fully in support of Lacey, Liv can see. Everyone leaning forward slightly. Everyone looking concerned. They've seen the kind, fierce friend Lacey is. They've seen her honesty and her strength, to go up against threats time and again and refuse to give ground. And they see Lacey as who she is: a woman who has been harmed simply because she told some men to leave her friends alone, and they decided they had to get revenge in the worst way possible. 

Liv barely pays attention to the defense attorney's cross. Rafael sits up straight in his chair and watches, but there are no signs he's worried. He doesn't twitch his left shoulder or shift in his chair or call objection. There is nothing in the cross that Rafael considers worth a fight, and Liv takes a deep breath and feels more peaceful than she had at the beginning of Lacey's questioning. 

The judge calls lunch, and Lacey looks and finds Liv in the gallery, making a beeline for her and holding herself stiff as the room empties out. She only speaks once the room is empty except for them and for Rafael, who is still at his table and looks busy. 

"I think they knew I was telling the truth," Lacey says, her eyes hopeful, but her hands in tight fists. 

"I think so, too," Liv says because she doesn't want to push Lacey's hopes too high.

"My boyfriend's outside," Lacey says. "Can I go home after lunch?"

Liv turns towards the front of the courtroom. Rafael is still pretending to be busy. "Barba," she calls, "Do you need to re-call Lacey after lunch?"

Rafael turns like he hasn't a concern in the world, but Liv knows the exact ways his face sits, and there's stress just barely showing at the way he holds his mouth. "I seriously doubt it," he says. "But if you could come back after just to be sure, I can have Olivia text you once I'm sure the defense won't attempt to get you back on the stand."

Lacey nods, her smile grateful. "Okay. Thank you." She looks at Liv for a moment, eyes going damp. "Thank you," she says. 

Liv returns the smile, her own eyes damp no matter how often this happens. "Thank _you_ ," she says. "Feel free to stay on the steps outside. I'll text as soon as I know one way or another."

"Okay," Lacey says and leaves the courtroom. 

Liv turns her attention to Rafael, who meets her eyes and smiles softly. The smile he only ever has when they're alone and things are quiet. She walks down the aisle and opens the gate, then sits on the edge of the table. "You were nervous," she says. 

Rafael stands and buttons his jacket. "A little," he admits, and Liv thrills at his willingness to admit it. Even now, after so long, it still feels like a victory. "I wasn't sure the jury would listen to her."

"But they did," Liv says. "Because of you."

Rafael shrugs and looks away from Liv. He can take praise easily after a trial is over, but never during. Never, ever during. "Because of her," he says and meets Liv's eyes again. "Because she's honest."

"The jury felt her honesty because of you," Liv replies and holds his face in her hands so he can't look away. "You helped."

Rafael looks like he wants to argue, but Liv sees him see something in her eyes. He knows her as well as she knows him, no question there. He leans in and kisses her, slow and easy and soft. He doesn't affirm she's right, but he doesn't argue she's wrong, and Liv knows him more than well enough to know that's a win.

**Author's Note:**

> I was delighted to see my giftee wanted to see how close Liv and Rafael have gotten. I hope Liv watching Rafael and reading him fits the bill. I enjoy him in court, so I hope you did, too.


End file.
